Northern Adelaide Irrigation Scheme

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:03): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. How much of the current capacity of the Northern Adelaide Irrigation Scheme (NAIS) is currently contracted to water users?

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (15:03): It is around about three gigalitres of the capacity as formally contracted, and then there is a range of other—as I mentioned in my first answer—commercial-in-confidence negotiations going on.

I understand that SA Water's modelling suggests that it usually takes an analysis of similar systems elsewhere. It usually takes around about five years to deliver these to full capacity, and that was the case with the Virginia system, which was installed over 20 years ago. So we expect full distribution of that water, or a full signing up of the capacity of NAIS, to be completed about five years after the commencement of negotiations. For interest, the project commenced construction around the time the government changed in March 2018.